Vietnam hopes UNICEF Belgium will continue to support in the field of child protection and care.

President Vo Van Thuong hopes that UNICEF Belgium will continue to support Vietnam in perfecting policies and laws related to children; and continue to allocate resources to support Vietnam, especially in the fields ofeducation and health care, so that Vietnam can better care for and educate children in the future.

On the afternoon of May 9, at the Presidential Palace,President Vo Van Thuong received Queen Mathilde of Belgium who visited and worked in Vietnam in her capacity as Honorary President of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Belgium.

At the reception, President Vo Van Thuong welcomed Queen Mathilde to Vietnam; saying that the visit took place in a very meaningful context when the two countries celebrate the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations and the 5th anniversary of the Strategic Partnership on agriculture in 2023.

The President was pleased to see that the traditional friendship and good cooperation between the two countries continue to develop positively. The two sides maintain delegation exchanges and contacts between leaders at all levels. Bilateral economic, trade and investment relations have made remarkable progress.

Based on the good relations between the two countries, through Queen Mathilde, President Vo Van Thuong respectfully invited King Philippe and the Queen to soon visit Vietnam so that the two sides can discuss measures to expand and deepen cooperation in various fields.

Queen Mathilde of Belgium respectfully thanked President Vo Van Thuong for taking the time to receive the delegation; shared her joy before the upcoming trip to Lao Cai to witness the outstanding results of childcare facilities in Vietnam; Vietnam's achievements in the sustainable development process; and at the same time, learned about Vietnam's difficulties in the field of childcare and health protection, especially issues related to education, nutrition and mental health.

The Honorary President of UNICEF Belgium also said that during the trip, she will visit educational institutions and schools in Lao Cai; learn about the results of applying information technology in teaching and learning activities; visit the nutrition club of mothers and exchange with Vietnamese students and teenagers about mental health care, because this is a big issue that is receiving more attention and support today.

Informing Queen Mathilde further, President Vo Van Thuong stated that Vietnam started out as an agricultural country, having experienced wars with great damage and loss. However, with the view that children are the future of the country, for many years, the work of caring for, educating and protecting children has always been of interest to the Party, the State and all classes of Vietnamese people with the spirit of giving the best to children. Along with that, Vietnam has constantly improved its legal system, promulgated and implemented many policies and programs related to children such as poverty reduction programs, new rural development, education development, healthcare, social care, etc. Child care work is implemented synchronously from the central to local levels.

On this occasion, the President respectfully thanked the Kingdom of Belgium and UNICEF Belgium, as well as Queen Mathilde herself, for always accompanying, supporting and cooperating with Vietnam in the field of child protection and care; dedicating many important resources to support Vietnam in improving the effectiveness of child care.

The President also said that, in addition to the achievements, the task of protecting and caring for children in Vietnam still faces a number of challenges such as the growing development gap between regions, and the disparity in health and nutrition between localities, especially in remote areas.

The President believes that during her visit to several cooperation projects supported by UNICEF Belgium in localities in Vietnam, Queen Mathilde will have the opportunity to better understand Vietnam’s achievements and efforts; and at the same time share Vietnam’s difficulties and challenges in protecting and caring for children.

Appreciating the recommendations of the Queen and the Delegation, the President hoped that UNICEF Belgium would continue to support Vietnam in perfecting policies and laws related to children; and continue to allocate resources to support Vietnam, especially in the fields of education and health care, so that Vietnam can better care for and educate children in the coming time./.

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